PRESIDENT BIDEN PROMISED TO MAKE
CLIEMTT CHANGELIMATE CHANGE A
PRIORITY.
BUT THAT JUST BRINGS US BACK TO
WHERE WE WERE FOUR YEARS AGO.
GRETA THUNBERG WHO IS KNOWN FOR
CHALLENGING LEADERS, AND ALSO A
LEADING VOICE ON CLIMATE CHANGE
THAT WROTE SEVERAL MUST READ
BOOKS ON THE TOPIC, THE LATEST
IS "THE NEW CLIMATE WAR."
BOTH OF YOU WELCOME AND THANK
YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I WANT TO START WITH YOU, GRETA.
WE HAVE A NEW PTHD AND AGENDA.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS AT THE TOP OF
IT IT.
WE REENTERED THE PARIS CLIMATE
ACCORD AND PRESIDENT BIDEN IS
PROMISING TO WORK HARDER ON
CLIMATE CHANGE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> I THINK IT IS A CRUCIAL FIRST
STEP THAT THE U.S. REJOIN THE
PARIS AGREEMENTS.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO
AVOID THE WORST CONSEQUENCE OF
THE CLIMATE CRISIS, AND WE
WELCOME THAT THEY SAY THEY’RE
GOING TO TAKE IT IT SERIOUSLY
AND THAT THEY SAY IT IS AN
EXISTENTIAL THREAT.
BUT I GUESS TIME WILL TELL IF
THEY WILL REALLY ACT AND FULFILL
THEIR PROMISES AND OF COURSE
THEIR CLIMATE TARGETS ARE NOT IN
LINE WITH THE PARIS AGREEMENTS
AND SO ON, BUT I GUESS IT’S A START AT LEAST, IT GETS THE
START AT LEAST, IT GETS THE
DISCUSSION GOING.
>> WHAT WOULD YOUR MESSAGE BE IF
YOU COULD GET IN THE ROOM WITH
JOE BIDEN?
>> JUST SIMPLY TO LISTEN TO THE
SCIENCE AND DO WHAT YOU HAVE
PROMISED TO DO AS YOU HAVE NOW
SIGNED THE PARIS AGREEMENT.
AND THAT, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE
MY MESSAGE.
AND MY MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE AND
CITIZENS WOULD BE THAT YES, WE
HAVE NOW -- WE ALL DESERVE FOR
IT TO BE BETTER NOW THAN IT WAS
TWO DAYS AGO, BUT IT DOESN’T
MEAN THAT WE CAN RELAX.
MAYBE THE OPPOSITE, THAT WE NOW MUST PUSH HARD ERE TO SEE THE
MUST PUSH HARD ERE TO SEE THE
CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY RIGHT
NOW.
>> SO MAKEICHAEL, YOU HAVE A
FOUR-POINT BATTLE PLAN.
YOU SAY DISREGARD THE
DOOMSAYERS, A CHILD SHALL LEAD
THEM.
CHANGING THE SYSTEM REQUIRES
SYSTEMIC CHANGE AND EDUCATE,
EDUCATE, EDUCATE.
I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE LAST ONE.
WHAT YOU WRITE SOUNDS LIKE WHAT
JOE BIDEN WAS PREACHING THE
OTHER DAY.
THAT IF ENOUGH OF US GET ON
BOARD CHANGE CAN HAPPEN.
AND YOU’RE SAYING DON’T TRY TO
CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT ARE
UNCONVINCEBLE, TRY TO EDUCATE
EVERYONE ELSE THAT MIGHT BE
CONFUSED. EXPLAIN THAT MORE TO US.
EXPLAIN THAT MORE TO US.
>> THANKS, KATY AND GRETA FOR
JOINING US.
IT IS NICE TO VIRTUALLY COME
FACE TO FACE.
THERE REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, STILL
SOME DEGREE OF MISINFORMATION OUT THERE AND THERE IS STILL A
OUT THERE AND THERE IS STILL A
SMALL NUMBER OF HARD CORE
CLIMATE CHANGE DENIERS.
YOU LISTED SOP OF THE DISASTERS
THAT WE’RE SEEING PLAY OUT IN
REALTIME.
PEOPLE ON THE WHOLE GET IT.
THEY KNOW THAT WE HAVE A
PROBLEM.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS BRING
ALONG THOSE THAT ARE CONFUSED,
THAT THINK MAYBE IT WILL COST
TOO MUCH TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
IT.
WHEN REALLY THE ON SIT IT TRUE,
OR THAT THERE IS UNCERTAINTY
ABOUT THE SCIENCE OR THAT THERE
ARE STILL REASONS TO GET OFF OF
THE FOSSIL FUELS.
AS WE GET PAST THE DENIAL, THEY
ARE STILL PREVENTING US FROM
MOVING ON.
WE HAVE TO COMBAT THEM AND HELP
EVERYBODY MOVE ALONG.
>> YOU ARGUMENT THAT IT IS NOT
JUST ABOUT INDIVIDUAL CHANGE,
BUT SYSTEMIC CHANGE.
AND WHAT THE FOSSIL FUEL
INDUSTRY DOES AND WHAT THE BAD
ACTORS DO IS PUT IT ON TO THE
INDIVIDUAL TO SAY THAT YOU NEED
TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE IN THIS WAY
IN ORDER TO CHANGE WHAT IS GOING
ON AROUND US WHEN THE REAL
ESTATE IS THAT WE NEED BIG
SYSTEMIC CHANGES ACROSS
GOVERNMENTS AND THE WORLD
FLORIDA TO ADDRESS WHAT NEEDS TO
BED AS QUICKLY AS IT NEEDS TO BE
ADDRESSED.
THE GREEN NEW DEAL IS SOMETHING
THAT WAS PROPOSED IN OUR CONGRESS HERE A FEW YEARS AGO.
CONGRESS HERE A FEW YEARS AGO.
IT WAS WIDELY USED.
A LOT OF DISINFORMATION.
IN MICHAEL’S BOOK HE ARGUES THAT
THE PROBLEM WITH THE GREEN NEW
SDAEL THAT IT WAS TOO BROAD, IT
FOLDED IN SOCIAL IN TISSUETIVES
THAT WERE NOT NECESSARILY
CENTRAL TO THE CLIMATE FIGHT AND
THAT IT ENABLED THE BACK ACTORS
AND IT ALIENATED THOSE WHO WERE
A LITTLE UNEASY ABOUT
PROGRESSIVE SOCIAL CHANGE.
IS THERE A WAY TO MESSAGE ON
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE NEED TO
FIGHT IT? THE URGENCY OF IT?
THE URGENCY OF IT?
IN A MODERATE WAY?
>> HOW CAN WE EXPECT PEOPLE TO
WANT CLIMATE ACTION?
HOW CAN WE EXPECT PEOPLE TO
SUPPORT ANY KIND OF ACTION WHEN
THE GENERAL PUB WELCOME
AWARENESS IS SO LOW WHEN IT
COMES TO THE CLIMATE. WE HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF
WE HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF
WHAT IS HAPPENING SO HOW CAN WE EXPECT THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN?
EXPECT THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN?
AND I MEAN, USUALLY IT IS NOT
ALL OF THE CRUCIAL ASPECTS, BUT
IT IS VERY, VERY FAR FROM BEING
ENOUGH.
BUT THAT’S MY OPINION.
PEOPLE MAY THINK THAT, BUT IT
IS, IT AT LEAST GETS THE
DISCUSSION GOING AND YOU COULD
ARGUE THAT WE NEED MORE MOD RACE
PEOPLE TO HELP IT GET PASSED,
AND THAT IT CAN BE A WAY AS LONG
AS WE MAKE CLEAR THAT THIS IS
VERY, VERY FAR FROM BEING
ENOUGH.